Repeater.



E. S. KEOGH.

'ww Patented Mar. 14,1916. 4 ZSHEETS-SHEETI.

E- S- KEOGH.

REPEATER. I APPLICATION FlLED OCT. 24 1914i Ll75 639, Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

' 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I 59 40 v 'f/AMIIIIM .W 4% A 24 v l/VVE/VTOR Edward S. Keogh y %4/ ATTORNEYS EDWARD S. KEOGH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

REPEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. M, was.

Application filed October 24, 1914. Serial No. 868,419.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S, Knoerr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Repeater, of which the following is a full, clear. and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to provide means for automatically replaying a disk record; to diminish the time interval between the repetitions of the playing of said disk record; and to noiselessly suspend and inaugurate the playing of said record.

Drawi72g$.-Figure 1 is a plan view of a talking machine employing a record disk,

showing in conjunction therewith a repeater constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side edge view of the same; Fig. 3 is a cross sec tion on an enlarged scale, taken as on the line 3-3 in Fig. Fig. 4c is a top plan view showing a fragment (if a'record disk, and in conjunction therewith a modified form of the invention; Fig. is a front edge view of the construction shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detail view on an enlarged scale, showing in cross section a central fragment of a disk constructed and arranged in accordance with the modified form of the invention.

Description.-As seen in the drawings, the (present invention involves the employment, in conjunction with a single-tone tube 11, of two sound boxes 12 and 13, each of which is conventionally equipped with are producing needle 14. The sound boxes 12 and 13 are provided with goosenecks 15 and 16, arranged each telescopically and rotatively in atube 17. The tube 17 is fixedly mounted in thesleeve of the tone tube 11 and in open communication therewith. Each of the goosenecks 15 and 16 is independently adjustable in the tube 17. In this manner it is possible to adjust the sound boxes 12 and 13 to accommodate the'width of the record zone on the record disk. When the sound boxes and needles 14 thereof are adjusted in their relation to said record zone, the goosenecks and tube 17 are secured in relatively fixed relation by set screws 18 and split collars 19. To steady the action of the goosenecks 15 and 16 and the boxes 12 and 13 carried thereby, drag springs 20 are employed, each spring being rigidly secured at one end of the tube 17,. The free end of each spring rests in the split grooves formed in the collars 19, as seen best in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Normally, the goosenecks l5 and 16 are supported above and out of engagement with the record disk 21, a balancing bar 22 being employed for thls purpose. The ends of the bar 22 are bowed and shaped to pass under the goosenecks 15 and 16, where they are furnished with rubber or other soft sleeves 23. The balancing bar 22 is rigidly connected at the end of a pivot shaft 24:, which is extended lengthwise of and below the center of the tone tube 11, being supported thereon by bearings 25. At the end removed from the bar 22 the shaft 2i is rigidly connected to a balancing tube 26. The tube 26, as shown best in Fig. 3 of the drawings, is preferably charged with a limited quantity of mercury 27. From the under side of said tube are extended lugs 28. The lugs 28 have inclined faces to slide over the correspondingly inclined faces of heads 29 formed at the ends of short rack bars 30. The rack bars 36 are slidably mounted in a block 31, wherein are mounted small shafts 32, at the exposed ends of which are manipulating wheels 33. Rigidly mounted on said shafts 32 are sprocket wheels 34, the teeth of each of which engage the teeth'of one of the rack bars 30. The particular object in constructing and arranging the rack bars 30 and feeding mechanism therefor as described, is to adjust the heads 29 to operatively engage the lugs 28 at the extremes of the movement of the tone tube 11 when the needles of the sound boxes 12-and 13 are set to correspond with the outer and inner edge of the record zone above mentioned. The block 31 is rigidly mounted on the bed plate or table 35 of the talking machine case, and is relatively immovable. I

. Operation.-Having a repeater constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention and as above described, the operation is a follows :To adjust the sound boxes and theneedles 14 to the record zone of each record disk. the set screws 18 are manipulated to release the goosenecks 15 and 16. Said goosenecks are then moved in thetube 17 until at one side of the record disk the needle 14 of the sound box 12 is placed in the outermost groove of the record zone, and the needle 14 of the sound box 13 registers with the innermost groove of the record zone. It will be understood that the goosenecks 15 and 16 are freely slidable over the sleeves 23. When the sound boxes are thus adjusted, the screws 18 are tightened to hold in adjusted position the collars 19. While position, the

the balancing tube 26 which corresponds with the gooseneck 15. The weight of the mercury thereafter tilts the bar 22 to cause the needle 14 on the box 12 to engage the record groove. Subsequent to the adjustment of the boxes 12 and 13 as described, the rack bars 30 are arranged to adjust the heads 29 thereof to tilt the tube 26 and the balancing bar 22 when either of the sound boxes has reached the end of the sound rec'- ord. To accomplish this, the sound box 12- is preliminarily lifted and moved to the innermost groove of the sound-reproducing record zone. The wheel 33 on the side of the block 31 corresponding with the box 12 and gooseneck 15 is then manipulated to adjust the rack bar 30 with which it is connected and the head 29 thereof until said rack bar and head press upon the'lowered lug 28 to rock the tube 26, to the end that" the mercury 27 will flow to the opposite end of said tube. As previously explained, the mercury 27 has suflicient weight to overcome the balance of the goosenecks 15 and 16. Being thus overbalanced, the tube 26 gradually rocks on the shaft 24 to seat the needle 14 in the box 13 at the outer edge of the record zone, while lifting the needle 14 of the box 12 out of the groove at the inner edge of said zone. moved by the spiral record groove, to the inner edge of the zone, and the second wheel 33 and its companion rack bar 30 are ma nipulated to rock the tube 26'and balancing bar 22 in the relatively reverse direction. When thus adjusted, the rack bars 30 are permitted to remain, with the effect that as the boxes 12 or 13 move .to register with the groove at the inner edge of the record zone,

the respective heads 29 will engage their companion lugs 28 and rock the tube 26 and bar 22. When the above adjustments have been. made, it will be understood that the operator may hold the tube 26 and bar 22 in level position, when the needles of both of the boxes are above the surface of the disk 21. lVhen said disk has acquired suiiicient momentum, the tube 26 and bar 22 are rocked to lower the box 12, the needle 14 on the soft I The box 13 is now' 1,175;ese

thereof engaging the groove at the outer edge of the record zone. 'The mercury 27, having flowed tothe depressed endof the tube 26, retains said tube and the bar 22 in position where the box 12 is lowered and the box 13 is raised. This condition of the mechanism is maintained until, as the box 12 moves into register'with the last convolution .of the record groove at the inner end of therecord zone, the lug 28 on the tube 26 engages the head 29 previously disposed in its path,-to the: end that the tube 26 is lifted to permit the mercury 27 to HOW to the opposite end of the tube 26. The mercury 27 thus passing to the opposite end of the tube 26, depresses the same and rocksthe shaft 24 and balancing bar 22 to lower the sound box 13 while elevating the box 12,

The needle 14 on the box 13 now engages the outermost. convolution of the record groove, and is moved by said groove toward the center of the disk 21, until in its turn the lug 28 on the corresponding end of the tube 26 is engaged by the head 29, and the tube 26 is again rocked on the shaft 24, to lower the box 12 and elevate the box 13. This action, ;if not interrupted manually, would continue indefinitely.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6, a modified forni ofthe invention is disclosed. The modification consists in substituting for the goosenecks 15 and 16, telescopic tubes 36 and 37. The sound boxes 12 and 13 are mounted upon the ends of the tubes 36and 37. When employing this modified form of the invention, the record disks 21 are preferably formed with a raised center 39, the edge of which is shaped to provide an incline 40.

The incline 40 extends from the upper level of the raised center 39 to the lower level of the record zone. The inner end 41 of the record groove in said zone is impressed at the lower end of said incline to guide the needles 14' upward for delivery upon said incline. incline 40, it being designed to free the needle on said incline, so that it may be moved laterally over the same, when the opposite needle is engaged by the outer convolution of the record zone, to be moved The end 41 is not continued on the thereby toward the center of the record disk, I

which movement on the part of the engaged needle produces a corresponding movement onthe part of the other needle' When provided with a repeater constructed and arranged in accordance with the modified form of the invention, the operation is as follows: The needles of the boxes 12 and 13 are moved to registenwith the' outer and the inner convolutions of the record zone. To this end the tubes 36 and 37 are adjusted in a tube 42 carried by the cross head 38. The drag springs 20 operate to hold the t1 bes 36 and 37 in adjusted relation to the tu e 42, After this registry has been effected, the sound box 13 is slightly rotated so that the needle 14 thereof will rest lightly on the surface of the raised-cen-' ter 39 when the needle 14 of the sound box 12 rests in the record groove of the record Zone. The adjustment between the tubes 36 and 37 and the sound boxes 12 and 13 being now fixed, remains constant in relation to the tube 12. The tube 42 is free to rotate in the cross head 38. The sound boxes 12 and 13 are slightly rotated to free the needles 11 thereof from engagement with the record groove, and the revolution of the disk 21 is inaugurated. WVhen the disk 21 has attained sufficient momentum; the sound box 12 is turned to place the needle 14 thereof in the record groove. Consequent upon turning the sound box 12, the sound box 13 and connecting tubes 36, 37 and 42 are likewise rotated, to the end that the needle 11 in the sound box 13 is further lifted from the disk 21. This condition continues until the needle in the sound box passes by way of the end *11 of the record groove, upon the incline 4.0. The lift of the incline 40 rotates the box 12, connecting tubes 36 37 and 42 and the box 13 until the needle 14 mounted on the latter box engages the outermost convolution of the record groove. This engagement is effected when the needle in the box 11. is on the level portion of the incline 40. Thespiral arrangement of the record groove immediately moves the box 13 and.

parts connected therewith toward the center of the disk 21 from the side thereof opposite to that which is initially engaged by the needle on the box 12. The immediate result of this action is to remove the needle mounted on the box 12 from the incline 40. From the above stage of the operation" the tone tube 11 swings in a direction opposite to that followed by said tube when controlled by the-engagement of the needle in the box 12. When the needle in the box 13 in turn reaches the end 41 of the record groove and passes up the incline 40, the box 13, tubes 37 36 and 4:2 and the box 12 are rotated, to the end that the needle in the box 12 which now registers with the convolution at the outer edge of the record zone, is engaged by the record groove. If uninterrupted, the alternate engagements of the needles in the two boxes, with the record groove. will continue.

v\Vhile I have herein described the employment of a particular structure for rocking the balancing bar 22 and for rotating the tubes 36. 37 and 42, to alternately engage the needles in the opositely-disposed sound boxes, I do not wish to be understood as imiting mvself to the particular form ofstructure shown and described It is obvious that other means for ove'rbalancing the bar '22 may be employed without requiring invention or varying the scope and principle of operation herein disclosed. Also it is evident that an additional fixture may be substituted to operate in a manner similar to that described with reference to the raised center 39 and incline 40.

Claims:

1. The combination of a tone tube; a plurality of sound boxes arranged for operative engagement with a record disk; a tubular operative connection for said boxes and said tone tube, said connection extending transversely to and at opposite sides of the axis of said tone tube; and means for alternately engaging said sound boxes with said record disk at opposite sides of the center of said disk.

2. The combination of a tone tube; a plurality of sound boxes arranged for opera. tive engagement with a record disk; a tubular operative connection for said boxes and said tone tube, said connection extending transversely to and at opposite sides of the axis of said tone tube; means permitting adjustment of said sound boxes to register with the outer and inner convolutions of the record zone of said record disk; and means for alternately engaging said boxes and said disk. the operation being timed for action coincident with the completion of travel of each box across said record zone.

'3. The combination of a tone tube having an open-ended tubular cross head; an openended extension tube mounted in said cross head; a plurality of sound boxes; a plurality of. goosenecks, one connected with each sound box. mounted for telescopic adjustment in said extension tube; an operating mechanism mounted upon said tone tube for lifting said sound boxes alternately from engagement with a record disk; and means for initiating the operation of said mechanism.

4. The combination of a tone tube having an open-ended, tubular cross head; an openended extension tube mounted in said cross head; aplurality of sound boxes; a plurality of goose-necks, one connected with each sound box, mounted for telescopic adjustment in said extension tube; an operating mechanism stationarilv disposed; and a balancing bar pivotally mounted on said tone tube and disposed for operative engagement with said mechanism stationarily disposed for alternately lifting said sound boxes.-

5. The combination of a tone tube having an open-ended, tubular cross head; an opencnded extension tube mounted in said cross head; a. plurality. of sound boxes; a plurality of goosenecks, one connected with each sound box. mounted for telescopic adjustment in said extension tube; an operating mechanism stationarily disposed; a balancing bar pivotally mounted on said tone tube and disposed for operative engagement with said operating mechanism for rocking said goose necks for alternately lifting said sound boxes; and means for manually adjusting said mechanism to Vary the initiation of the operation of said balancing bar.

6. The combination of a tone tube; a record disk; a plurality ofsound boxes opter of said disk, said boxes being spaced a distance equaling the combined Width of the record zone and the center space Within said zone; means for alternately engaging said sound boxes at opposite sides of the center of said disk with the outer convolu- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

the combined Width oiv plurality of sound boxes operation of said record zone; and means permittin'gthe separation of said sound boxes to correspond With the variation 111' size ofthe record zone of difierent disks.

8. In combination; a tone tube; a- 13111- rality of sound boxes operatively mounted thereon inspaced relation therefrom at opposite sides thereof, said boxes being spaced apart and adapted for engagement with the outer convolution of a record disk at opposite sides-of the center of said disk; and

means for simultaneously disengaging and engaging said sound boxes respectively and the grooves of a record disk, at opposite sides of the center thereof and on the same surface of said disk.

In testimony whereof I have signed-my name to this specification in two subscribing Witnesses.

EDWARD S. KEOGH.

fitnesses: a I

' E. F. MURDocK,

PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs.

by addressing the Commissioner of lateiits,

Washington, D. G.

the presence of 

